1. 800. 973.1177
PERSONAL FINANCE
Sponsored By Law School Loans
Shop on the Clock [The Motley Fool by Dayana Yochim] This isn’t another story about how to get last-minute holiday bargains. (Though if you insist, here are a few Fool-approved ideas.)
No, this is a story about how to milk your
(where the employee pays out of pocket and is
Group disability insurance isn’t as stan-
employer for every last penny that is rightfully
reimbursed).
dard a perk. If your employer does not pay
yours.
for coverage but offers discounted rates to If your boss is particularly generous, there
employees, strongly consider it. If you suffer
Remember that thick packet of company ben-
are additional perks you shouldn’t pass up. An
from a non-work-related injury, this coverage
efits materials the smiling human resources
FSA (flexible spending account) lets you put
could net you up to 60% of your salary while
assistant handed you on your first day on the
away pre-tax dollars to cover expenses that
you are unable to work. Short-term disability
job? Neither do we. So go ahead and dig it out
aren’t included in your health-care coverage.
insurance kicks in when you must miss work
from the bottom drawer because there may be
Co-payments, extra contact lenses, chiroprac-
for anywhere from eight days to six months.
dollar bills stuck to nearly every page.
tor visits — even dependent care costs can be
Long-term coverage applies to periods of six
paid for out of this account. (Our tax man, Roy
months or longer.
That stack of brochures and booklets contains
Lewis, describes the rules in more detail.) As with warehouse clubs and white socks,
oft-overlooked benefits that can add up to substantial savings over time. Why pay for
There’s a certain amount of record-keeping
huge savings can be had when buying in bulk.
things like doctors’ bills, disability insurance,
required. You determine the amount of money
If you do not have life or disability coverage,
and baby-sitting if your boss is willing to pick
you want deducted from your paycheck for the
ask your human resources department for
up the tab?
FSA. Any dollars that aren’t used by the end of
information on getting a company discount.
the plan year are forfeited. Employees must
Then spend a little time comparison shopping.
Here’s a list of common company benefits to
submit receipts for reimbursement. Retirement extra credit
guide your at-work shopping spree. Take a look at your credit card statements
Deferred compensation plans are a kind of
Discounted doctors’ bills
to get an idea of how much you might save.
“pay now, get paid back later” arrangement.
For 2005, the average family of four covered
You might be surprised at how much you pay
They allow you to defer some of your current
by an employer-sponsored health-care plan is
piecemeal over the year on expenses that are
compensation until either retirement or some
expected to spend about $12,000 on health-
covered under FSAs. The savings — an aver-
other time frame. Employees sacrifice some
care costs, more than $2,000 of which will be
age of 28% on expenses, because of the pre-
investing flexibility with such plans because
spent on out-of-pocket expenses.
tax contributions — are well worth it. On that
many employers invest the funds in cash-
$2,000 that the average family will shell out
value life insurance policies.
Health care is probably the biggest money-
out-of-pocket, that’s a savings of nearly $560. Taxwise, qualified deferred compensation
saving benefit to working for The Man. While coverage isn’t usually gratis, most companies
Salary safety net
plans work like a traditional IRA, whereby the
ask employees to pay just a small percentage
Life and disability insurance are also offered
employee pays taxes only when she accesses
of the premiums based on the level of service
by many forward-thinking employers. Group
the funds. The amount the employee and em-
you choose.
life insurance is often provided at no cost to
ployer can contribute to the plan is limited.
employees, but you can purchase additional The most common medical plans are HMOs
coverage (standard plans offer the equivalent
In a nonqualified deferred compensation plan,
(health maintenance organizations), PPOs
of one year’s salary) if you tend to worry about
there is no limit to the amount of money you
(preferred provider organizations), POSes
accidental death or dismemberment.
can sock away. This option is usually available
(point of service plans), and indemnity plans
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only to top company brass. There are a variety
continued on back
1.800.973. 1177
PERSONAL FINANCE
Sponsored By Law School Loans
of plans that fall under this umbrella, each
Still, it pays to know what your boss is offer-
with its own tax consequences.
ing. There are two types of options offered by employers — ISOs and NSOs. You won’t
The Motley Fool’s benefits do not include a cute shoe stipend, much to Dayana Yochim’s dismay. Still, that doesn’t stop her from shopping on the clock. The Fool’s disclosure policy is a bargain at any price.
As with any investment, know what you’re
pay taxes on profits of ISOs (incentive stock
buying, and make sure it’s the best place for
options) until you sell. However, when you
your money. Sometimes it’s better for your
buy (or “exercise”) NSOs (nonqualified stock
long-term financial health to invest outside
options), the transaction is treated as tax-
This feature may not be reproduced or dis-
of an employer-sponsored plan. Here’s a
able income by Uncle Sam. When you sell
tributed electronically, in print or otherwise
general pecking order and guidelines of what
(hopefully at a profit), the profits are treated
without the written permission of uclick and
money to put where.
as regular income — which usually is at a
Universal Press Syndicate.
higher tax rate than that of capital gains My colleague, Robert Brokamp, has a few
taxes.
“wacky” ideas about how to best manage your 401(k), particularly if the investment
ESPPs (employee stock purchase plans) also
choices your employer offers aren’t quite up
offer options for purchase during a predeter-
to snuff.
mined time period. Stock may be offered at a discount, and plans are either “qualified”
Company ownership
(exempt from taxes at the time of purchase)
Eyeing a seat on the board of directors? If
or “nonqualified” (fewer tax breaks). If your
you amass enough company stock, you may
company offers an ESOP (employee stock
get an invitation and a key to the executive
ownership plan), your employer purchases
washroom. Employee stock options entered
company shares for you, and the shares vest
the common lexicon in the 1990s. Employees
during the time of your employment. Those
(or sometimes only company executives) can
shares can be handed over to you when you
purchase options at a preset price during a
leave or, occasionally, distributed earlier.
prescribed period of time. If the company’s share price rises during that time, share-
Finally, there are phantom (or “shadow” or
holders can sell (or “exercise”) their stock
“unit”) stock plans. These options are doled
and pocket a profit.
out on a limited basis and are usually based on the company’s share price performance.
Here’s the problem (you saw this coming,
Most are qualified plans and are used as
right?): Enron . WorldCom (aka MCI (NYSE:
incentives for corporate executives.
LU). The list goes on. Before you get back to work According to the Employee Benefits Re-
The Certified Financial Planner Board of
search Institute and the Investment Company
Standards encourages employees to review
Institute, nearly one-quarter of employees
employer-provided benefits regularly and fill
over the age of 60 had more than half of their
in the gaps with outside financial services or
401(k) assets in their employer’s stock, and
products.
16% of them entrusted 80% of their retirement savings to the performance of their
If you feel unqualified to even assess what
company.
you need, here’s a crib sheet for money literacy. And to help you procrastinate even
As too many employees discovered in the
more, here’s some weird financial news.
past decade, the road to instant riches is not
Just make sure that you’ve got real work
paved with employee stock options. Taxes
you can quickly pull up on your computer
and timing issues can wreak havoc on your
screen when you hear your boss rounding the
finances. (If you’re a real martyr, here are 10
cubicle corner.
other ways to mismanage your 401(k).)
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